Bicycle transportation has been popular for many years and has recently undergone a resurgence of interest due to the high cost of energy and the interest in nonpolluting outdoor recreation. Bicycle outings frequently include groups of people, usually families, and many small children are not capable of independently operating a bicycle. Also, many people prefer to ride and enjoy the trip without the effort required to propel the bicycle. For these reasons, a number of accessories have been developed to permit a bicycle to provide transportation for more than one person. In particular, a number of various styles of bicycle buggies have been developed in which the buggy is towed behind a conventional bicycle so that one or two persons or several small children can be carried in the buggy. Various types of such bicycle buggies are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 559,761 to Trande-Armand; 947,945 to Sampson; 2,343,019 to Neal; 2,517,162 to Armani; 3,271,048 to Beesley et al; 4,077,646 to Watkins and 3,747,955 to MacAlpine.
Although several different styles of bicycle buggies have been designed as shown by the above patents, the bicycle buggies heretofore in existence are not readily compatible with the experiences of the current time. In many instances, it is not possible to utilize a bicycle or buggy in a local neighborhood due to pollution and automobile traffic. For many people, it is most desirable to engage in a bicycle outing at a park or rural setting some distance from their homes. In these instances, the bicycle buggy must be transported by automobile to the selected location. The bicycle buggies heretofore available are not readily amenable to such transportation since they are generally quite bulky.
A conventional bicycle buggy further is difficult to store when not in use due to its bulk. A bicycle is generally easy to store since it is quite narrow, but the buggy occupies a substantial volume and such storage space is at a premium for many people.
Therefore, there exists a need for a bicycle buggy which can be rapidly assembled, disassembled and stored in a very small volume of space when not in use. In the disassembled condition, the buggy needs to occupy a small area, on the order of that of a bicycle, and must be adaptable for transportation by means of a passenger automobile.